Leathercraft Tips & Tricks

Annie Libertini Awarded the 2023 Al Stohlman Award

by Jim Linnell June 18, 2023

Elktracks Instructor Annie Libertini Honored with Prestigious "Al Stohlman Award for Achievement in Leathercraft" At the 2023 Rocky Mountain Lea...

Leathercraft Marketing 101 by Michael Magnus

by Michael Magnus February 20, 2023

Leatherwork is a great hobby, and can be a fruitful one. However, when you’re getting started and you have to buy everything for the first time, th...

Reflections on 2022 and Looking Ahead

by Melora Werlwas January 07, 2023

As the close of 2022 approaches and 2023 awaits, it is a good time to take a few minutes and reflect on the accomplishments of this last year and m...

Posted in Jim Linnell

Starting A Website For Your Leather Business

by Guest Contribution March 15, 2020

Whether you are selling your leatherwork, making tools, or teaching classes, having an online home for your business can be important for potential customers wanting to learn about your offerings.

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Selling on Etsy, Shopify and Social Media - What You Need To Know

by Guest Contribution February 13, 2019

It’s a new year and you want to kick the year off right by starting to selling your leathergoods online. The main options include selling on marketpaces like Etsy and Amazon Handmade, on your own hosted Shopify, Squarespace or Wix website and on social media channels like Facebook and Instagram, however...

Posted in eCommerce, Leathercraft, Small Business

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How to Walk Bevelers, Pear Shaders, and Other Leather Stamping Tools

by Jim Linnell October 20, 2018

When I’m using stamping tools, it may look like I'm sliding the tool along as I use it, but that's not what's going on at all. When I hold these tools, I'm actually holding it with a pretty tight grip. I'm holding it so that the thumb's on one side, all the other fingers hold it, and I actually have my ring finger resting on the leather. The tool, when I hold it, is hovering just on the surface of the leather a little bit.

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Swivel Knife Tips for the Beginning Leatherworker

by Jim Linnell August 26, 2018

Something I wish someone had showed me when first starting out is how to properly use the swivel knife. Learning how to work this tool is hard enough, but learning how to use it if were dull and not working right makes it even harder. One of the first things you need to do is learn how to get it sharp and keep it sharp...

Posted in Jim Linnell, Leather Carving, Leathercraft

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How to Wet Leather

by Jim Linnell July 24, 2018

One of the first and most important things to learn is the proper moisture content in a piece of leather. Having it properly dampened, having just the right amount of moisture in a piece of leather, determines how well your tools react.

Posted in Leather Carving, Leathercraft, Leatherworking

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Making Leather Tap-Off Patterns

by Jim Linnell June 28, 2018

A lot of folks often get requests to do the same pattern over and over again, and they really don't want to have to trace every single line, every time. Leather workers, a long time ago, figured out how to do tap offs, and I'd like to show you how tap offs are made. A free video of this tutorial is available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/4NHwS_CIzmE

Posted in Jim Linnell, Leathercraft, Leatherworking

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How to Make Your Leathercraft Pay for Itself

by Jim Linnell December 26, 2017

How to Make Your Leathercraft Pay for Itself

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Floral & Feather Carving Workshop

by Jim Linnell November 24, 2017

Attention!! December 1, 6:00 pm-8:00pm and Saturday December 2, 9:00 am-5:00 pm, Al Stohlman Award winner, Jim Linnell will be presenting a ...

Posted in Jim Linnell, Leather Carving, Leather Classes, Leathercraft

Roses for Texas

by Jim Linnell September 23, 2017

The Roses for Texas fundraiser has been a wonderful success. The care and concern of leather workers has once again shown up in this effort. Throug...